Chapter 1

“No,” I watch helplessly as my parents’ bodies lay on the ground, blood pooling around their bodies from their wounds. “Mom? Dad?” I call out but there’s no answer. I crawl toward them, uncaring of the danger still looming. I hear gunshots being exchanged in the background. Screams fill my ears as I reach my parents both shot dead. It’s not until I feel my throat dry out and my vision blurry with tears that I realize the screams are mine, drowning the war raging outside this room.

How did it come to this? Cradling my mother’s head against my chest, I wrack my brain to figure out what’s going on. 

“They’re dead, little Jean.”

I know that voice. Shivers run down my spine as Serafino Regis comes into view, two bodyguards flank him, loaded guns pointing at me. “What will it be, Jean?” 

Still holding my mother in my arms I shuffle backward to get away from him. Serafino Regis, the head of the Regis family did this to us? The Regis family whom we’ve been tied to since I can remember. My sister and I used to run around with the Regis kids when we were little. What the hell happened between him and my father? Why would they betray us?

Serafino cocks his head to one side, a sly smile on his face. Clearly, he’s enjoying my pain and confusion. “Confused, little one? It’s not me who betrayed your family, it was your father who made a gamble and couldn’t deliver what he promised.”

“What are you talking about?” I could barely project my voice, hoarse from the exertion. “How could you do this?”

“How could I do this?” He bellows loudly, making me tremble in fear. If he could murder my parents with whom he shared close relations, he could do worse things to me. “Maybe your father should have thought things through before he gambled your lives away. And then tried to run away with my money. Now, can you see why I'm upset?”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Dad would never do such a thing. He loved our family, he loved me and Bianca. He’d never trade us for anything. I glance down toward my father’s lifeless body. He couldn’t have, could he?

“Don’t you see?” Serafino spreads his arms wide. “This is all mine now. Your father tried to run away and leave you both behind. He sold both of you to our family.”

“You’re lying,” I say, mustering enough courage to get the words out of my mouth. “You murdered my family in cold blood, and for that, you will pay.”

Serafino clicks his tongue and strides toward me. “And I thought you were the smarter of the two Atwood daughters. This little piece of paper proves that I now own you. You and your sister both. I own you and I’m to do with you whatever I wish. Your father signed this, I'll even show you more proof if you play nice,” He shoves the piece of paper in my face, but I still don’t believe what he’s saying. 

“Where is my sister? What did you do to Bianca?” 

“Oh, I would worry about myself if I were you,” he replies. “But to answer your question, she’s alright… for now.”

“You bastard!” I scream at him, torn between wanting to hit him but reluctant to let go of my mom. “If you hurt her, I swear to God I–”

“What?” he says in a challenge. “You’ll what, Jean?”

“I’ll kill you.”

Serafino erupts in bellowing laughter, the sound echoing in the walls, grating in my ears. It’s not a sound one might easily forget.

I fight the urge to gag at the way Serafino is looking at me-- like a wolf salivating at the sight of a poor helpless rabbit. "Now, I need to settle things with your father's lawyer, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. These people follow the money; now that your father is dead, they will all crawl to me."

He's right. If Serafino has managed to acquire my father's wealth, that includes my inheritance too. "My men will take you to the Regis estate. Don't even try anything funny, little Jean if you don't want to see your sister's pretty head roll.” He exits the room leaving me alone with my parents’ cooling bodies.

What the hell is going on? I scramble for anything that could help me process this, but I come up with nothing. 

Why did Serfino do this? He has always been a close friend of my father’s. Hell, he was there for my 18th birthday celebration for fuck’s sake! And now he wants to keep me and my sister as what…pets? 

The fuck he is. I won’t let him hurt me or my sister, but I need to get out of here first. 

Eyeing the two men standing guard near the door, they’re both on high alert. It won’t be easy to escape but I would rather die than go with them without a fight.

“Excuse me,” I say just loud enough to get their attention. “May I please have a few minutes alone with them, please. I just want to say goodbye.” 

They look at each other skeptically, but they back away from the door, enough to hide me from view for a while. And that’s all I need. At the other end of this room is another room that leads directly to the west wing. I can use that to escape.

I don’t make a show of it, but I make sure the guards hear me sobbing. With one last look at my mom and dad, I whisper a quiet “Goodbye.” 

Carefully, I head to the door and feel the relief wash over me when the lock clicks into place. I hadn’t realized I had been holding my breath all that time.

With a silent prayer, I dash towards the west wing of our estate, avoiding any main halls. I could still hear voices and footsteps which means there were still strangers in the house. Serafino’s men are still here, and it’s only a matter of time before my guards realize I’d slipped away.  If they see me, I could kiss any chance at freedom goodbye.

Dead bodies litter the floors of the main house. I don’t recognize any of them but I’m assuming they were hired by my father. Which means he knew there was danger coming. He knew how to hire men to protect the family. I file the information away for now. First, I need to escape.

When I clear the west wing, I spot my car immediately, good thing I still had my key in my pocket. I make a mad dash towards it and slammed the gas pedal without turning back. I need to put some distance between Serafino and me, that’s the only time I’ll be able to think.

“Please, please, please,” I whisper begging the car to start without alerting anyone. Keeping the lights off, I ease off the driveway with a prayer in my mind, begging for my sister’s safety and mine.  

It’s been a quarter-hour since I cleared the estate grounds. Serafino should be notified of my absence by now. The anxiety swells in me as I check my rearview mirror again and again in case there are any cars following me. My anxiety swells with each tick of the digital clock, with each passing minute.

It doesn’t take long before I see a car’s headlights flashing straight into my car. “Fuck!” It has to be Serafino’s men. I gun it, not really knowing where to go. I don’t even know where I am now, but I keep driving in the hopes to lose them, stepping on the gas pedal.

Should I call 9-11? It seems like the logical thing to do, but what could the police do? The Regis family is one of the untouchables, much like our family before everything went to shit. Their family’s money probably lines the pockets of most in the force, seeking police help would be suicide.

A road exit sign flashes in my view and without another thought, I turn the wheel hard to the right, hoping for the best. I look over my shoulder but there it is again, the same black sedan following me. Shit, I don’t know what to do.

I’m on a dirt road now, lit only by scarce street lights and my car’s headlights. Nothing but bumps and uneven ground to drive on. “Where am I? Come on, Jean, think!”

There’s nothing but darkness all around me. I focus on the road. The car behind me seems to just be following for now. “These fuckers are really enjoying the chase.” They’re so sure they will catch me, it doesn’t matter how much farther I drive, they’ll be right at my tail ready to catch me and bring me in.

I won’t let it happen. In the distance, a few miles in front of me, the trees start to clear, and a faint light calls to me. That’s it. Maybe I could reach someone, anyone who could help me. 

I gun the accelerator if I could only reach someone. The car behind me still follows close. The constant thumping of the car on the road makes me nervous, this car isn’t built for driving off-road and at the pace, I’m going, I have to be careful.

Almost there.

Just a couple more hundred yards. I can see where the light was coming from now. It’s a grand estate, hidden from plain sight, sitting in the middle of nowhere. From my left side mirror, a glint catches my eye. A gun.

I check in the rearview mirror and sure enough, a pistol is aimed at my car. They’re going to shoot me!  What’s different from now and earlier? Did they get bored of chasing me? No, my gut tells me, that’s not it. 

It’s this estate. Somewhere on that estate is someone they don’t want me running into. They’re afraid and I bank on that fear.  That’s my shot at survival.

I’m already running at 60 miles an hour, driving as if I’m on a highway on a dirt road. Dust and scattered dirt fly everywhere impairing my vision. Still, I speed up. If I die trying to get to safety, at least I’ll die a free woman.

“Fuck!” I scream out doing my best to focus on the road despite the thunderous fires of gunshots. “Please!”

I’m almost there, please let me make it. But suddenly the car swerves and I lose control. From the side mirror, the back tire flaps uselessly.

Is this it? I think to myself, barely able to control my car.  I can’t die like this.

I try my hardest to recover some control, but I’m going too fast. I need to slow down, but slowing down means capture. I don’t want to be captured.

Swerving my car purposely, I unclasp my seatbelt and get ready to jump. I’m going to that estate even if I have to run to get there.

Turning the wheel hard to the side, I use the momentum to jump and roll out of harm's way. Ignoring the throbbing pain in my arms and legs I force myself up, I’m but a football field away from the main gate, I can do this. I run.

“Little Jean! It’s futile! Give up now! Surrender to me or watch your sister get hurt!” That was Serafino’s voice calling after me but I won't stop running. Not even when they shot at me, the bullet finding its home in the ground too close to my foot. In the distance, I see the headlights of a car heading toward me. Hope blooms in me, I sprint towards it, ignoring the burning of my lungs and feet.

“Please!” I scream out, hoping that whoever it was in the car would pull over and help me. “Help! Please!” Whoever they are, they must have heard the gunshots and were worried. I pray that they’re here to check out the chaos and hopefully they called the police.

Looking back, two men are after me; guns still pointed at me. “Please! Please help me!” I’m desperate.  The car slows down and three men step out, and I run faster. I may not know who they are but they have to be a better choice than what waits for me at the hands of Serafino Regis.

One of the men, the tallest one with dark hair and striking gray eyes steps forward and extends a hand towards me, “Come.”